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The Great Depression
The Great Depression challenged American families all around in major ways by placing a considerable amount of economic, social, and psychological strains and demands upon the families and their members. Families from a variety of class, ethnic, racial, and religion backgrounds, showing various styles of marital and familial relationships, responded in different ways to the stresses and demands placed upon them. -
The Holocaust
Even before they were deported they suffered from a permanent lack of the normal family framework. As a result of discriminatory economic laws, shortage of food, lodging and alternative employment were the main problems from which Jews suffered. With the beginning of deportation, partings were inevitable, especially when families attempted to smuggle children out of the ghettos in an effort to save their lives. In most cases, this separation proved permanent, since the parents did not survive. -
Hiroshima Atomic Bomb
The first atom bomb to be used as a weapon, "Little Boy" was dropped on to the flat terrain of Hiroshima. The bomb vaporized buildings and killed nearly 70,000 people directly but by the end of 1945, nearly 100,000 had died from its protracted effects. Families were immediately completely destroyed or felt the effects soon after. -
Hurricane Maria
The storm left an eye-opening amount of damage behind. The youth are more vulnerable to the psychological impacts of disaster, with many depending on the resources and support they find at school to help them overcome trauma-induced stress. For months, most families and businesses remained without power, cell phone service was limited, and clean water, food, medicine and fuel were all in very short supply. For some, the struggle to access such basic essentials is still a daily reality. -
Trump Administration's Zero-Tolerance Policy
The Trump Administration released a new Zero-Tolerance immigration policy in 2018 which detained families immigrating into the United States.This new policy referred to all border crossings as federal criminal prosecutions, leading to children being separated as their parents were sent to jail. Both the children and the adults are held in gruesome conditions, being faced with physical impacts, along with lasting psychological impacts.
